Breakfast is without a doubt my favorite part of the day. I could probably live solely off of breakfast foods. I mean, I’ve gone days where that’s all I’ve eaten (no shame). As Ron Swanson says, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food.”
Breakfast holds such a special place in my heart that I actually feel personally victimized when I hear that people skip the most important meal of the day. Excuses like, “I’m just not hungry that early” or “I don’t have time to eat breakfast” are just that; excuses. First off, your body just fasted for 8+ hours and you’re telling me you can’t eat in the morning? I’ve never regretted waking up a few minutes earlier to ensure I get a hearty breakfast. You’re choices about breakfast can either make or break the rest of your day. Although, if you TRULY aren’t hungry right when you wake up at 7AM, maybe grab some fruit and wait until you are hungry to really grub on a big nutritious breakfast. If you are an athlete like me, skipping breakfast is the worst possible thing you can do. To enhance performance and energy during your workouts later in the day, you should be aiming for a breakfast consisting of AT LEAST 400-500 calories. It is crucial to fuel your body so you can get the most out of your sport performance. If you are training early in the morning, grab a smaller pre-exercise breakfast consisting of 100-300 calories to boost your blood sugar and add endurance and enthusiasm in your workouts. After your workout, you can then enjoy your nutrient dense breakfast. Food is fuel people!!
Not only are there scientific facts that show eating breakfast provides so many health benefits (which I won’t bore you with) but you can’t tell me you haven’t felt more energized and ready to take on the day after having a good breakfast rather than skipping it to get maybe 5 more minutes of sleep. Waking up is definitely worth it!
Now what should your breakfast consist of? Let’s start with the basics; protein, carbohydrates/whole grains, and fruits and veggies.
*Avoid sugar based breakfast foods: You are guaranteed to be hungry again within hours (or less) if your breakfast is consisted solely of sugar.
Some examples include:
Protein: Eggs/egg whites, Greek Yogurt, Nut butters (peanut/almond).
Carbohydrates: Whole-grain cereals, Oatmeal (my personal favorite), whole-grain breads.
Fruit and Veggies: ANY!! My personal favorites for breakfast are bananas and strawberries.
Get creative: Make a smoothie or set some overnight oats the night before so you can grab and go in the morning without and hassle.
Some of my favorite breakfasts:
Egg white Oatmeal:
Oatmeal can be made so many different ways so don’t be afraid to get creative with it!!
- 1/4 C. Gluten-free Oats
- 1/2 C. Liquid (water, or flavored tea like pumpkin spice😋)
- 1 Tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 C. Egg whites
- 20g almond butter or peanut butter (depending on my mood)
- Banana
Directions: Mix together oats, cinnamon and your choice of liquid and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in egg whites. Micro for 30 seconds. Stir and micro for 30 seconds or until desired consistency. Top with nut butter and banana coins (or whatever toppings you want!!)
Egg White and spinach omelette or scramble:
- 3 egg whites
- 1 C. Spinach
- 1 C. Berries
- GF toast
Something different:
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Natures Path Organic Toaster Waffles
- 170g egg whites with cinnamon and WF pancake syrup (don’t knock it until you try it!!)
- 1 C. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, pineapple)
As you can see, my breakfasts are always accompanied by a cup (or 3) of coffee. Not only is breakfast the most delicious meal of the day, it seems to be the most photogenic as well!!
I am actually enjoying myself some gf toast with almond butter and banana as we speak (another favorite). Now that I have shared a couple of my favorite breakfasts, I would love to hear some of yours!
Happy Breakfast time!
Oatmeal and Optimism 